DeWine, ODNR, Intel partner for $1 million Dillon wetlands restoration in Muskingum County
NASHPORT − Gov. Mike DeWine, joined by Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Intel Corp. officials, announced Thursday a $1 million Dillon Wetland Restoration project on 92 acres along the Licking River in the Dillon Wildlife Area, in Muskingum County.
"Water is so important in Ohio," DeWine said. "It's one of the great natural assets we have. It's good for recreation, but frankly, it's also good for business and getting companies to come in. It's one of the things Intel was looking at. Other companies look at water.
"The message we are sending today, with Intel's participation, is we're all about water in the state of Ohio. We value it. We take care of it, and we protect it. We're investing today in scientifically proven strategies that will protect our water into the future."
Intel Executive Vice President Keyvan Esfarjani said the company is recognized as the leader in sustainable manufacturing. He said the supply chain must be resilient, trusted and sustainable. Intel will pay for part of the wetlands project.
"Sustainability is not just something we do; it's something we are," Esfarjani said. "It's part of Intel's core culture and value for the last 50 years. Water is a very precious resources. Our goal is to return more water to the local watershed than we extract — net positive."
Esfarjani said that during a visit to Ohio after announcing Intel would build a computer chip manufacturing facility in Licking County, a young girl asked him if Intel would take water away from her family's farm.
"We're not going to take farmers' water away," he said he told the girl.
Esfarjani said the Licking County project is now $28 billion, instead of $20 billion, with $4.5 billion invested so far. There are 350-plus Ohio suppliers across 47 counties, he said. There are 1,400 construction workers on site now.
Steve Gray, assistant director for ONDR, said work on the H2Ohio wetlands project should begin by July 1 and finish by the spring. The construction work will be put out for bid.
"We hope to slow down the flow of the water and retain it in these wetland basins," Gray said. "While it is retained there, it settles out the phosphorus and nitrogen, and other sediments will go to the bottom. As the water leaves the wetland, it'll be better than when it came in."
The project will improve water quality in the Licking River, Dillon Lake and the Muskingum River as it flows southeast toward Zanesville, Gray said.
"We hope this is just the start of more projects in Licking County, in central Ohio," Gray said. "We will look for more opportunities to do them upstream into Licking County. Also, the Buckeye Lake region. There's a lot of opportunity there, we think, too."
Lt. Gov. John Husted compared Ohio to Arizona, where Intel has had a manufacturing facility since 1980 and is also investing $20 billion in two new state-of-the-art factories.
"Every time Keyvan comes to Ohio, it's sunny," Husted said. "He spends a lot of time in Arizona, where they have big operations. And I know they're known for their sun. But the difference is we have water."
State Reps. Kevin Miller, R-Franklin Township, and Thad Claggett, R-Newark, attended Thursday's event and said they support creating similar wetlands in Licking County.
"I think it's fantastic," Claggett said. "The water use in this area is very important to Licking County."
Miller added, "It's extremely important anytime we can do something like this. It's nice to have the public-private cooperation."
Also attending the event were Par Excellence STEM Academy Superintendent Gisele James and 16 students from third through sixth grades.
"Intel invited us to be a part of this," James said. "We are STEM now, so all of those things we're very interested in. We're teaching them about solving problems there will be in the future."
740-973-4539
Twitter: @kmallett1958
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Intel, Ohio partner on $1 million Dillon wetland restoration project
